


Reaction

by kuriadalmatia



Series: Criminal Minds Icon Fic Challenge [14]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drabble, Experimental, F/M, Poetry, icon fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-03
Updated: 2010-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-04 05:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/706864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuriadalmatia/pseuds/kuriadalmatia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haley's reaction to seeing Hotch in the hospital after Foyet's attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reaction

**Author's Note:**

> No beta. All mistakes are mine. Standard disclaimers.  
> Icon Artist: SoDoesRachel

* * *

Staring at him as he explained  
Always knowing that one of these days  
Something like this could happen

She remembered the week she'd spent that hotel  
Because some freak had delivered an envelope to her

This wasn't the first time he'd been hurt

The bullet wound  
The bruising around his neck  
The gashes across his hand  
"Nothing serious," he would say

All those other times, close calls he never talked about  
This time? Full disclosure  
And it scared the hell out of her

Made her wonder what he hadn't said about that Garner guy

So she bitched. She complained.  
Because it was easy to do  
Automatic  
Expected  
Because fucking SWAT had stormed her home  
They scared the shit out of her while she was folding laundry  
One of the men crushed Jack's toy soldier  
Jack had wailed loudly upon seeing it  
So yes

She shouted.  
She bitched.  
She was selfish.

Because she couldn't say the things that she wanted to say

Not with him looking like that

Bandaged  
Hooked up to monitors  
Ashen  
Stoic  
Swearing that he'd spend the rest of his life making this up to her

He would, of course

He spoke to Jack  
So stalwart  
Except for the tears in his eyes

And as he spoke, she saw the mask slip across his features  
SSA Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, Unit Chief of the BAU  
His armor

Sealing himself off  
A means of survival  
She knew about that as well

And as she got in the car, holding Jack close to her  
She mourned

Because the Aaron Hotchner she knew…  
The one who courted  
The one who sang off key  
The one who…

He was gone


End file.
